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(No' Model.) 4 Sheets-Sheet 2.

F. W. RAOHHOLZ. GAS ENGINE No. 301,009. Patented Junegll, 1884.. F

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(No Model.) 4 Sheets-Sheet 4.

P. W. RAGHHOLZ. GA$ ENGINE.

No. 301,009. Patented June 24, 1884.

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FRIEDRICH WVILHELM RACHHOLZ, OF DRESDEN, SAXONY, GERMANY.

GAS-ENGBNE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 301,009, dated June 24-, 1884:.

Application filed October 6, 1883.

' crate the gas consumed by the said engine or motor and automatically prevent or exclude all danger of explosion. The preparation of the charge is carried out by forcing or pressing atmospheric air through hydrocarbons, or mixtures of the samesuch as petroleum, rock-oil, naphtha, kerosol, rhigol, gasoline, canadol, benzine, ligroine, petroline, petro- 1eum-ether, spirits of petroleum, &c.the volatile products of which, when mixed with air, form explosive mixtures, or when mixed with less air, form inflammable gases. All hydrocarbons which can be employed for this purpose and their mixtures are known under the general denomination of oil-gases. The automatic avoidance of all danger of explosions occurring is effected by arranging or 10- eating the oil-receptacles in a warm-water bath.

Figure 1 is an elevation of part of the apparatus, showing three similar engines and an air-pump, one of the engines and one part of the air-pump and part of the main frame being shown in section. Fig. 2 is a top view of said apparatus, the upper part of the frame being removed. Fig. 3 is a vertical transverse section through the apparatus, taken in the plane indicated by dotted lines m w on Fig. 1. Fig. l is a view of the cam or tappet b. Fig. 5 is a vertical section through the gasgeuerator. Fig. 6 is a top view of the same.

I will first describe the apparatus for preparing the explosive gas.

1?, Figs. 1 and 2, illustrates an air-pump which is driven by the motor or engine, and which is provided with avalve, o. This pump communicates, by means of a pipe, 0, with the reservoir G, near its bottom, which latter is intended to contain thcgas, oil, or by- (No model.)

drocarbon fluid. The air which is forced into said reservoir ascends through the fluid therein, and is saturated with volatile oil-gas products. This mixture is explosive, and escapes from the upper part of the reservoir Jr, through a pipe, 0, into the gas-holder R for the gas mixture. From this gas-holder 1t this gas-mixture passes through a pipe, 0 into the lower part of a reservoir, G provided with deflectingpartitions, wherein the gas-mixture absorbs an additional quantity of volatile products from the hydrocarbon. These gas products pass out of the upper part of the reservoir G through a pipe, y, (shown in Figs. 2 and 6,) which communicates with the enginecylinders, hereinafter described. The funnels i, provided with cocks, serve to charge the reservoirs G G2 with oil.

It is well known that hydrocarbons absorb heat when they are converted into gas form, so the temperature of the same is reduced; but as the volatilization ceases when the temperature is loweredto a certain degree, it is necessary to provide warmth,which can be effected by applying flame (say a lamp, L) beneath atank, G, containing water, or by employing the products of combustion which escapefrom the engine cylinder or cylinders, by means of a pipe, 1b,, part of which is submerged in the water in tank G. It will thus be seen that I heat the oil in reservoirs G G in an indirect manner, and prevent the possibility of overheating thcoil-gas in said reservoirs. In order that the production of this mixture of air and gas shall depend on the consumption, the gas-holder It is provided with a vertically-movable hood, h, which rises by a greater production than consumption of gas,and sinks when the consumption is greater than the production. The water in the tank G serves as a closure to the reservoir to prevent the escape of gas therefrom. In combination with said movable hood 71., I employ a safety device to exclude the entrance of more atmospheric air into reservoir 3- as soon the hood it rises nearly to a dangerous height. At such height a weight, Q, is arranged, as shown in Fig. 5, suspended by a rope or chain (indicated in dotted lines, )passed over and uuder pulleys, and attached to one arm of a bifurcated lever, K, to which arm a counterbalancing-weight, q, is applied. (See Fig. l.)

This lever K has its fulcrum on a standard of the said valves are closed suddenlyby weight the engine-bed, and its upturned arm is adapt- "1 applied to said levers, as shown in Fig. 2.

ed to enter the suction part of the valve 1; of

" the air-engine I, and to raise this valve from its seat. When this valve '0 is thus raised, the air drawn into the cylinder of the air-pump by the downstroke of its piston will escape through the said suction part instead of through the pipe and into the reservoir G and gasholder It. Ifv only a single-acting air-pump is employed, the supply of gas-mixture will be subjected to frequent variations, in order to prevent which I prefer to employ a doubleacting air-pump, or two pumps in which the pressure and suction operate alternately.

I have represented by Figs. 1 and 2 three engines of similar construction, and I prefer to employ at least two of them, connected to a single three-throw cra11k-shaft,WV,by means of the pitman-rods of the pistons, as shown in Fig. 1; but it will be obvious from what follows that a single engine only may be employed. WVhen the several parts of the apparatus occupy the positions shown in Fig. 1, the fly-wheel S on crank-shaft V is given a forward turn, so that the piston is raised in the cylinder 0 and sucks explosive gas-mixture through the inlet-valve c" and pipes r 9*, out of the gas-holder It. Alter valve 0 closes say at about one-third of the charge of the cylinder O -and after the igniting-valve a has been suddenly opened for a moment and sucks 'in the flame t, burning near said valve, and

explodes the gas in the cylinder, then the expansion of the gas will cause the'piston to complete its upward stroke. The flame t is from a burner applied to the branch g of a pipe 3 communicating with the upper part of the reservoir G, as above described, which branch is provided with a regulating cut-off valve. The explosion arising from theignition of the gas-mixture causes an expansion of The momentum of the shaft W and fly-wheel S, which are set in rotation by the ascent of the piston I, as above described, returns this piston and drives out of cylinder 0* the products of combustion, which escape. through pipes a a into the coil in the water-tank G. As soon as the outlet-valve a is closed, and the inlet-valve a is simultaneously opened, the piston I again rises, first sucks explosive gas-mixture into the cylinder (3 and then, when the inlet-valve c is closed and the igniting-valr e z momentarily opened, another eX- plosion of the gas in said cylinder takes place and the piston I is again caused to rise. This operation is continuously repeated. The opening of the valves a and e is effected by means of the cam d on crank-shaft WV, acting through rods m and the loaded lever 2. The opening of the valve Z2 is effected by means of the cam b on said crankshaft, acting through the medium of rod m and a loaded lever, 1), while ted lines, Fig. 1) for transmitting motion from the shaft W to the air-engine crank-shaft.

It will be observed that by shifting the belt from a larger to a smaller pulley on shaft W, and from a smaller to a larger pulley on the crank-shaft of the air-pump, or vice versa, a

differential speed ofthis pump can be obtained; or,in other words, the air-pump can be driven ata faster or slower speed, as may be required. It is obvious that the production of the gas depends on the speed given to the air-pump.

The extra .cylinders G G" are provided with V the same appliances as the cylinder 0 and for this reason similar parts have similar letters of reference. I

The crank-shaft WV is provided with three cranks set on a third stroke,so that when three engines are used, as shown, they will work smoothly. gines are in operation, the valves of the engine not working will be disconnected from their cams on shafflV, thus preventingwear on such valves. NVhen the levers Z, the free ends of which are guided, as shown at f, Fig. 8, are raised so high that their projections or noses are removed from contact with the camsb and d, pins or springs are arranged so that said levers are prevented from descending to the position shown in the drawings Fig. 3. The weights 9 are held by the connecting-rods, and the closing of the valves by the same is prevented, when desired. When it is desired to run only'one or two of the engines, the cooks in the pipes a y" r of the engines or engine not working must be closed.

The piston l? of each cylinder (3 is so constructed that its packing can be expanded with out removing the piston from its cylinder.

This is done by simply tightening the nuts 0 on substantially as described, of thehot-watertank G, the reservoirs G G", the gas-holder pipes forming communications. between the same,

the pipes communieatin g with the engine, their XVhen only one or two of the enautomatic valves, and a gas-pipe communieating withthe reservoir G and terminating in a burner near the inlet-valve z to the piston-cylinder 0 substantially as described.

2. I11 combination, gas-generators and a gasholder, and a hotwater tank, G, therefor, the

"gines, and an eXplosive-gasmaking apparatus in a warm-Water tank, automatic-Working valves applied to these pipes, and a gas-jet pipe eonlnlunicati 11g with the reservoir G, substantially as described.

5. The combi11ation,with the gas-motors, the gas-generators, and the communicating pipes, of the air-engine, the crank-shaft thereof, the crank-shaft XV, and the stepped-cone pulleys Z Z, all constructed and arranged substantially as described.

FRIEDRICH WILIIELM RACIIIIOLZ.

\Vitn esses:

OTTO NoLl r, C. R. SOI-IMIDY,

Both of Dresden. 

